Master of Industrial Engineering

Program Overview

Industrial engineers make things work better — and every industry can benefit from that. The field gives its practitioners an education in engineering and business; and the opportunity to work in various areas such as bio- and nano- as well as traditional manufacturing, health care, entertainment, shipping and logistics, public utilities, telecommunications, and management consulting.

The Master of Industrial Engineering (MIE) distance education program is designed for students with an undergraduate degree in engineering or the behavioral, physical, or mathematical sciences. It is a 30-credit-hour degree program that does not require a thesis, final oral exam, or on-campus residency.

Admission Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in an engineering or related discipline. The discipline does not have to be industrial engineering but it must have a strong engineering / mathematical curriculum.
• An overall undergraduate GPA of at least 3.0.
• Completion of the Graduate Record Exam (GRE) for all applicants. 
• English Proficiency: TOEFL or IELTS scores (no more than two years old) are required for international applicants unless they have successfully (cumulative GPA of 3.0 or higher) completed at least one year of full-time study in a degree program at a regionally accredited four-year US College or university. The Graduate School also accepts Duolingo English Test examination results. A minimum score of 110 is required for full admission to NC State.
• Three letters of recommendation from persons able to comment on the applicant’s qualifications for graduate study.

Find out more about admission requirements.

Degree Requirements

• A minimum of 31 credit hours is required, of which at least 21 hours must be in Industrial and Systems Engineering.
• At least 24 hours of the 30 must be at the 500 level or above.
• At least one (1) 700 or 800 level ISE course must be included in the Plan of Graduate Work.
• Project work for the degree is optional; up to three (3) hours of credit for ISE 677 may be allowed toward the degree.
• As a breadth requirement, you must select one (1) course from four (4) of the five (5) breadth requirement groups (Groups A – E) in ISE plus one (1) course from Group F (Computer Science, Mathematics, or Statistics), for a total of 15 credit hours.
• No more than six (6) hours of 400-level coursework are permitted on the Plan of Graduate Work from outside the ISE Department. Courses outside of the ISE Department should be technical in nature, and we urge you to get approval from your advisor before taking the course. 
• There is no minor. But, you may elect a concentration from another department.
• You are required to take at least one (1) semester of the ISE 601 seminar.

Find out more about degree requirements.

Course Registration

It is preferable to seek admission to the MIE program as soon as possible to ensure integration into the advising process. However, a person does not have to be admitted to a degree program to enroll in an online credit course. Prior to applying to Graduate School, a qualified individual may enroll in Engineering Online courses as a Non-Degree Studies (NDS) student. The NDS classification is designed for individuals who wish to undertake academic work but who are not currently admitted to a degree program. If the student is admitted to the MIE program, a maximum of twelve hours taken as an NDS student or from another institution may apply toward the 30 credit hour requirement.

Students register for online courses through Engineering Online. Those who wish to take only a few courses and not pursue a degree do not need to apply for formal program admission to NC State University. However, students who wish to earn the MIE degree must formally apply for admission to the Graduate School. When completing the online application, please be sure to select the “Distance Track” version of the degree.

To register for an Engineering Online course, complete the registration form on the Engineering Online website. Students cannot register through the University MyPack Portal system for Engineering Online courses.

Course Offerings

A list of distance education courses available for each semester can be found on the Engineering Online website. Full-time employed individuals may only enroll in two online courses per semester. It is highly recommended that new students enroll in only one course during their first semester.

For a list of distance education courses approved for the fall, spring or summer semester, visit the Engineering Online website.

Course Logistics

Online courses are the same as on-campus courses in terms of content, requirements and academic rigor. On-campus class lectures are captured, digitized and placed on the Internet for distance students to access at any time and from any location. Students must, however, follow the on-campus class schedule in terms of submitting homework and taking exams. Course assignments, lecture notes, and handouts are made available to distance students on the course website. All in-class exams must be proctored.

Contact Information

• For more information about the MIE program available online, contact:
  Dr. Russell King, Foscue Distinguished Professor and Director of Graduate Programs
  Edward P. Fitts Department of Industrial and Systems Engineering
  Telephone: 919.515.5186
  Email: king@ncsu.edu
  Department website: https://www.ise.ncsu.edu
• For more information about the registration process, course offerings and course logistics, contact:
  Dr. Linda Krute, Director of Distance Education Programs
  College of Engineering
  Telephone: 919.515.5440
  Email: linda_krute@ncsu.edu
  Engineering Online website: https://www.engineeringonline.ncsu.edu